ANUBHA JHAWAR, THE founder of the premium tea brand CelesTé, spent a lot of her childhood in the sprawling tea estates of Darjeeling. “I really cherished my time amid the tea bushes. And I became quite familiar with the plucking of the leaves and buds,” she tells us. This love of tea led her to establish this new brand that offers artisanal loose leaf tea blends.
New leaf
After graduating from NIFT as a product designer, Anubha initially started a lighting design firm. But soon boredom set in and she thought of venturing into the tea business. Her father Manoj Jhawar, is a master tea taster and blender, and it felt natural to carry his legacy forward. “I accompanied my father on his numerous tea-tasting expeditions. And I also trained under the British tea master Jane Pettigrew in London in 2018,” she says. CelesTé offers 19 blends divided into categories such as floral, fruity, wellness, spiced, classic and dessert.
“Each blend is uniquely crafted for the Indian consumer. Each has a story to tell and emotions to evoke. Our teas are non-traditional but easy on the palate. One does not have to be a connoisseur to enjoy CelesTé teas,” Anubha adds.
Sipping point
Some of the blends that caught our eye were the Choco Spice from the dessert section (notes of cocoa with hints of cinnamon, cardamom and ginger), Vanilla Waltz (an oolong with flavours of vanilla, marigold and strawberry), Soulful Tango (a green tea with fennel, anise and lemongrass), and Royal Blossom (a floral black tea with lavender and rose). Since the pandemic began, teas, especially wellness and immunity-boosting teas, have become even more popular. “The times are stressful and so is our fast-paced life. Hence, people are realising the importance of unwinding, and relaxing, yet feeling energised,” she tells us.Some of their healthy blends include the white tea and ginger option, Ginger Elixir and Amber Glow, a mix of white tea, saffron, chamomile and lemongrass.
Anubha believes the tea industry is only going to grow as the demand for healthy beverages increases. “All our teas are sourced from Indian Tea estates and it’s a conscious decision to do so. In our own way, we are helping the local tea farmers, and helping boost the economy,” she signs off.
Rs 499 upwards. Details: celes-te.com
anagha@newindianexpress.com
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